Shoe testing devices



May 20, 1958 c. K. WOODMAN ET A]. $835,043

SHOE TESTING DEVICES I Filed Dec. 16, 1955 II w I .KIIIIIIII Inventors C/mr/es K Waco mod JM/r Darrin a other.

Unite 2,835,043 SHOE TESTlNG DEVICES Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,504 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-480) This invention relates to testing devices, and is illustrated herein as embodied in a device for testing the relation between parts of a shoe or that between a part of a shoeand the corresponding part of a last upon which the shoe is mounted.

In connection with the development of automatic shoemaking machinery, the use of geometrically. graded lasts is favored partly because this method of grading is con ducive to more accurate lasts and provides a basis for a more definite and simple diiferentiation'between the various lasts in the series, from the standpoints of both their size and the identification of their size." One important characteristic of a series of these lasts is that they vary, from one to the next, in all dimensions by a-fixed percentage and, in general, are proportional-to onean- In addition, because of the method of manufacture, the angle between theicenter line of the last and the center line of its heel part is a predetermined corrstant, a condition which, although it is sought in the manufacture of arithmetically graded'lasts, is not consistently obtained.

The above-mentioned properties of the geometric last have promoted the design of automatic shoe;machinery and, in this connection, have led to a further development of a last of this type, as disclosed in copending United States application of A. R. Hubbard et al., Serial No; 536,444, filed on September 26, 1955, now" Patent No. 2,806,233, issued September 17, 1957, embodying positioning indicia upon its heel part in a predetermined relation to certain parts of the last.

If, as is now proposed, such lasts carrying shoe parts to be operated upon are presented to a machine having positioning means cooperating with the positioning indicia on the last, it is evident that the last may readily be positioned with respect to the operating tools of the machine most accurately without involving an operators judgment. It, therefore, becomes more important than heretofore to be able to verify the placement on the last of the shoe or shoe part to be operated upon, since the machine will neither detect nor compensate for a-misplacement of the shoe on the last. Moreover, with the lowering of the skill requirements of an attendant foran automatic machine, it also becomes more important that the testing of a shoe, for a given operationcr'for the result of the operation, be carriedoutwith a minimum of skill and judgment on the part of the attendant:

With the foregoing in view, there has beendeveloped an improved shoe testing device, as disclose'd' in copending application Serial No. 553,505 filed on December 16, 1955, in the name of C. Woodman, having positioning means which cooperates with positioning indicia associated with the center line of the heel part of a last of the type referred to above so as to insure the proper positioning of the device and last with respect to each other, without requiring any attention on the part of the user, for testing the heel seat portion of a shoe or the placement of a, heel or heel section attached to the shoe.

States Patent "ic 2,835,043

Patented May 20, 1958 An object of the present invention is to provide for the'testing of various other parts of a shoe, upon'a last of l the type referred to, which are associated with or related to the center lineof the last.

To this end, the invention provides, for use with a last having positioning indicia upon its heel part arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the last, an improved testing device having, positioning elements which cooperate with the indicia properly to locate the last and the device relatively to each other when they are assembledflhe device further comprising gaging means for indicating the proper placement-of various characteristic parts of a shoe upper on the last, which are associated with or related to the center line of the-last, such, for example, as -'the"t'ip line, the throat opening and theba'ck seam.

These and other "features of the invention'will appear more fully below from the following description ofan illustrative embodiment of the invention, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In thedrawings,

Fig.- 1 is a plan view ofan illustrative testing device embodying the invention; the device being shown asassembledawith a last carrying" a shoe upper tobe tested;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the device and lasted shoe shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig; 3 is adiagrammatically plan View, partly inc'ross section, illustrating the positioning of the device and last relatively to'each other, the section being taken-along the line .III-III 'in- Fig.v 2.

The illustrative device comprises a-fram'e 10 from which there projects a pin 12'adapted to'be received in a thimble 14 fixedupon the heel part 16- of a last L of the type disclosedin the above-mentioned Hubbard et al. patent. Upon thetopof the heel part 16 there is fixed a positioning plate 18 which is secured to the last by the thimble 14 and apin 20.

The plate 18 is provided with positioning indicia comprising two sets of positioning surfaces, one set being constituted by a pair of shoulders 22, 22 which are equally spaced from the center line HCL of the heel part of the last at each side thereof. Forwardly of the positioning sholuders 22, the plate has another set of positioning shoulders 24,24 which are offset laterally of the last from the shoulders 22 but are arranged symmetrically with-respect to'the center line LCL of the last, that is, spaced equally from the center line at eachside thereof. Connecting the positioning shoulders 22, 24 at each side of the plate there is a sloping shoulder 26 the purpose of which is disclosed in the above-mentioned Hubbard et al. patent.

The same design of positioning plate is used for both right and left lasts, the plates being applied to the lasts either one side or the other up, as appropriate, to bring the sets of positioning shoulders 22, 24 into a centered relation with respect to the center lines HCL and LCL, respectively, as explained in the above-mentioned Hubbard et al patent.

Fixed upon the frame 10'at theforward end thereof, so as to project from its surface'which engages the plate 18,- is a pair of lugs 27, 27 between which are received the shoulders 24 of the plate 13. In a channel 28, formed in the upper surface of the frame 10 lengthwise thereof, there .isrec'eived a beam: 30 having an elongatedslo't 32 through which extends a clamp screw 34 which is threaded into the frame 10. The lugs 27, 27 are equally spaced from the longitudinal center line of the beam 30, so that the beam will be alined with the center line LCL of any last, right or left, with which the device is assem bled.

Upon the forward end of the beam 30 there is mounted for angular adjustment an index 36 having a gaging edge 38 for indicating the position of the tip line of a shoe upper angularly and lengthwise thereof. The index is carried by a stud 40 which extends through the beam 30 and which is clamped thereto, to hold the index in adjusted position, by a nut 42. A calibrated scale 44, fixed upon the frame 10, indicates the adjustment of the beam 30 lengthwise of the shoe, and hence the correct position of the gaging edge 38 for the size of shoe indicated by the scale. Similarly, a scale 46, graduated in degrees, on the index 36, indicates the angular setting of the index and the gaging edge 38 with respect to the beam.

An intermediate portion of the beam 30 is chamfered to provide upon its sides lateral gaging surfaces for indices 48, 50, which are equally spaced from the longitudinal center line of the beam, for indicating the desired position of the throat line of the shoe upper laterally of the shoe by visual comparison of the throat line with one of the indices laterally thereof. The index 48 is used when the device is used with a left shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 1; and, similarly, the index 50 is used when the device is used with a right shoe.

Another index 52, having a gaging edge 53 disposed in a plane including the longitudinal center line of the device, is mounted upon the rear end of the frame 10, by means of a pin 54, to swing into proximity to the heel end of the shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to indicate the position of the back seam of the shoe, the pivotal mounting of the index 52 permitting shoes of any size to be accommodated.

The use of the illustrated device will now be briefly summarized. The beam 30 having been adjusted for the size of shoe to be tested, as indicated by the scale 44, the device is assembled upon a heel part of the last carrying the shoe. Assuming the index 36 to have been angularly adjusted appropriately for the shoe to be tested, the position of the tip line of the upper, both lengthwise and angularly of the shoe, can be determined visually by comparison of the gaging edge 38 with the tip line.

By swinging the index 52 into proximity to the heel end of the shoe the placement of the back seam can be determined by visual comparison of the gaging edge 53 of the index with the back seam.

It is noted that, in accordance with usual shoemaking practice, the back seam of a shoe upper is centered with respect to the center line LCL of the last rather than the center line HCL of the heel part. Accordingly, and as a result of mounting the index 52 upon the frame of the device, which is located with reference to the center line LCL of the last, whether either a right or left last is considered, the gaging edge 53 indicates the desired position of the back seam of both right and left shoes.

The beam is always positioned with respect to the last, whether it is a right or a left last, in alinement with the center line LCL of the last, the indices 48, 50 being spaced equally at opposite sides of the common center line of the beam 30 and the last. This ofisetting of the indices 48, 50 laterally of the center line of the beam 30 is effected in conformity with the shoemaking practice of having the throat opening of the shoe upper oflset slightly, toward the inside of the shoe from the center line of the last. Thus, by visual comparison of the index 48 with the throat opening of a left shoe or the index 50 with the throat opening of a right shoe, upon viewing the shoe from directly above the appropriate index, the accuracy of the location of the upper relatively to the last laterally thereof can be determined.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device for testing a shoe upper upon a last having positioning indicia formed upon its heel part in a predetermined relation thereto a frame, last engaging means on said frame for fixedly positioning a last thereon in a predetermined position, said means comprising positioning elements cooperating with said indicia, and gaging means comprising a beam mounted upon said frame for adjustment lengthwise of said last, said beam having an index for indicating the position of the throat line of the shoe upper laterally of the last, and an index mounted upon said beam for angular adjustment for indicating the position of the tip line of the upper lengthwise and angularly of the upper.

2. In a device for testing a shoe upper upon a last having positioning indicia arranged upon its heel part symmetrically with respect to the center line of the last, a frame, means on said frame cooperating with a last assembled upon the frame for fixedly positioning the last with respect to said frame in a predetermined position, said means comprising positioning elements cooperating with said indicia and gaging means comprising an index for indicating the back seam line of the upper, a beam mounted upon said frame symmetrically with respect to said positioning elements and for adjustment lengthwise of the last, and another index mounted for angular adjustment upon and extending crosswise of said beam for indicating the position of the tip line angularly and lengthwise of the shoe upper.

3. In a device for testing a shoe upper upon a last having positioning indicia on its heel part in a predetermined relation to the center line of the last, a frame having positioning means cooperating with said last and indicia fixedly to locate said frame laterally, longitudinally and angularly with respect to the last in a predetermined position, and gaging means comprising an index mounted upon said frame for indicating the back seam line of the upper, a beam mounted upon said frame for adjustment lengthwise of the last, a second index upon said beam for indicating the position of the throat line of the upper laterally thereof, and a third index mounted upon said beam for angular adjustment for indicating the tip line of the upper.

4. In a device for testing a shoe upper upon a last having positioning indicia on its heel part in a predetermined relation to the center line of the last, a frame having positioning means arranged to cooperate with said indicia fixedly to position relatively to each, other a last assembled upon said frame, and gaging means comprising an index mounted upon said frame for indicating the back seam line of the upper, said gaging means also comprising gaging elements mounted for adjustment relatively to said frame longitudinally and angularly of said center line for indicating the position of the tip line of the upper lengthwise and angularly of the upper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,142,557 Engel June 8, 1915 1,492,126 Fernald April. 29, 1924 1,493,950 Bartels May 13, 1924 1,702,362 Osiek Feb. 19, 1929 2,082,862 Weber June 8, 1937 2,721,344 Clark Oct. 25, 1955 2,735,117 Courchene et a1. Feb. 21, 1956 

